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Thousands of Sandinistas and state workers from all over Nicaragua have been celebrating the 38th anniversary of the popular revolution that overthrew the U.S. backed dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle on July 19, 1979.
Regional Leaders Join Nicaragua to Mark Sandinista Revolution
The crowds filled the capital Managua's Plaza La Fe square, to listen to speeches by the Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega as well as his Bolivian and El Salvadorean counterparts, Evo Morales and Salvador Sanchez Cerren.
Ortega praised his country and said "Thank you Nicaragua! May Viva Nicaragua blessed, socialist, Christian and always free!....there is no alternative but the integration and unity of Latin America and the Caribbean".
#Nicaragua #RosarioMurillo: Toda nuestra solidaridad militante y nuestro amor para el pueblo bolivariano pic.twitter.com/LW8eUjnvaF
— LaVozdelSandinismo (@lavozsandinista) 19 July 2017
The former Sandinista guerilla then went on to lend his support to Venezuela.
Ortega backed the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ahead of the country's National Constitutent Assembly vote at the end of the month and criticised external interference.
He said "On this day when threats that we have known throughout history continue to be repeated against those who are trying to build their own path, what can we say to the brothers of the Republic of Venezuela? We tell you that we are with you. It is a popular government, it was elected by the Venezuelan people, it was not elected in another country."
The U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose economic sanctions if the Maduro government persists in holding on the July 30 election.
Ortega then slammed Washington's threats, "How many wars have they launched in the world throughout history. What results have they had? Vietnam is the greatest expression of the failure of imperialist policy."
He also said dialogue is the way forward for both Venezuela and Cuba.
Those sentiments were echoed by the Bolivian President Evo Morales.
Agradezco al hermano Daniel Ortega por invitarme, quedé muy sorprendido por la gran concentración para celebrar la revolución sandinista. pic.twitter.com/CvKI6zeyYK
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) 20 July 2017
Adressing the audience in Managua, Morales said, "In recent days we have seen new agressions against Cuba and Venezuela. These are agressions against the whole planet."
He added, "we express our soidarity with both Cuba and Venezuela. The peoples of this region will not accept any foreign interventions. Either you are with the peoples, or you are with the empires."
Morales also congratulated the Nicaraguan leader and said the Sandinista guerillas were the best rulers in the region.
Felicitar a Daniel Ortega y al Frente Sandinista; mi respeto y admiración a los guerrilleros que son los mejores gobernantes de su región.
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) 19 July 2017
There was also praise for Nicaragua from the Cuban Vice-President Miguel Díaz-Canel and more support for Caracas.
Díaz-Canel said Venezuela has been subjected to "the most brutal political, economic and media attacks" in recent months.
"We reiterate here in this act of victory our unconditional solidarity" with Venezuela, he said.
Nicaragua's Vice President, Ortega's wife and running mate to victory in last November's election Rosario Murillo sent a message, "to the beloved Bolivarian people we send all our militant solidarity, all our love. Long live the peace, long live the love, long live the Revolution".
The event was also attended by representatives from the Vietnamese government as well as leftist parties from several other countries including Mexico and Panama.
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